Hammer



Aug. 15, 1933. R. B. GEVERT 1,922,890

HAMMER Filed 001:. 26, 1932 Patented Aug. 15, 1933 UNHTED STATESApplication October 26,

4 Claims.

The invention relates to a hammer and particularly to a nail holder fora hammer.

The principal object of the invention is to construct the head of ahammer with means whereby a nail of any size may be held in drivingposition, be initially set in place by the use of one hand, beyond theposition at which the nail would be normally placed into position by theemployment of two hands in the usual manner of setting a nail, whereuponthe nail may be finally driven into its ultimate position.

One of the objects of the invention is to con struct the nail holdingmeans so that it will firmly, yet releasably, hold the nail in positionwith relation to the head of the hammer and prevent the nail fromgetting out of position or flying before it is placed at the point whereit is to be driven.

Another object of the invention is to construct the head of a hammerwith a flexible spring clip which is firm enough to hold any size ofnail, and in many cases brads, screws and the like, so that they may beinitially placed in position by the aid of an auxiliary striking face ofthe hammer head, and subsequently driven into place by the hammeremploying the principal striking face.

It is another object of the invention to construct the hammer head withan opening capable of receiving nail heads of various sizes, immediatelyadjacent the auxiliary striking face and having the auxiliary strikingface serrated, milled or knurled to prevent displacement or slipping ofthe nail head while the nail being r held by the clip and initially setin position ready to be finally driven into place.

A further object of the invent-ion is to construct the hammer head withan integral depending portion which is slotted in a wedge shape in itslower end to hold one end of the spring clip therein with the aid of awedge in said slot.

An additional object of the invention is to form the slot and the wedgein a manner to permit of the ready removal of the clip in case it shouldbe injured, broken or destroyed.

Another object of the invention is to form the integral nail holdingmeans with a groove which with the clip and the serrated auxiliarystriking face keeps the nail in proper alignment with the head of thehammer in order to properly initially place the nail in the desiredposition.

In case it is desired to lessen the liability to injury and destructionof the nail clip, a

1932. Serial No. 639,559

modified construction embodying a metal clip protecting shield which maybe placed in position and held permanently as by spot welding, may beemployed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the followingdescription and the accompanying drawing in which the invention isillustrated toge her with the modification thereof employing the clipshield or protector, and it will be understood that furthermodifications of the structure may be made without departing from thespirit of the invention as set forth in the appei'ided claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the hammer head illustrating theintegral depending portion and features of the invention, and showingthe nail in position.

Figure 2 is an elevation of the opposite side of the hammer headillustrating the elements shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, on theline 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an under plan view of the hammer head illustrating theelements of the invention on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of a modified structure illustrating thespring shield or protector spot welded to the integral depending memberof the hammer head.

Figure 6 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of themodified form of the invention illustrated in Figure 5 and is taken onthe line 66 of Figure 5.

Figure '7 is a cross sectional view on the line 7-7 of Figure 5 andillustrates the spring shield or protector in place about the upperportion of the spring. a a

Figure 8 is a side elevational view of the Wedge adapted to hold one endof the spring in its slot,

and

Figure 9 is an end elevation of the wedge of Figure 8.

The invention is illustrated in connection with 100 the ordinary hammerhead but it will be understood that it may be applied to all forms ofhammer heads and in fact, to all forms of hatchet heads or anyinstruments for driving all forms and sizes of nails.

As shown the hammer head 10, which has the handle 11, is constructedwith the'integral depending portion 12. The hammer head 10 may be formedwith the integral depending portion 110 12 or the depending portion, asan independent unit, may be forged or welded to the hammer or hatchethead.

The depending portion 12 is provided with the nail groove 13 whichextends from the outer edge of the depending portion 12 to a relativelylarge nail head opening 14. The groove 13 preferably has two faces 15and 16, at right angles to each other, against which the nail 17 is heldin position by the leaf spring 18.

A striking portion 19 of the depending portion 12 is integral therewithand forms a part of the hammer head 10. The striking portion 19 has itsface provided with serrations, milling or knurling 20, so as to assistin holding the head of the nail 17 against sliding or slipping on thesurface of the striking portion 19 and firmly between the spring 18 andthe depending portion 12, in the groove 13.

It will be understood that the opening 14 in the depending portion 12should be large enough to receive any size of nail head which is to beplaced in position and driven by the hammer. It will also be understoodthat the opening 14 may be made of such size that it will assist in thecreation of the proper balance for the hammer head.

The depending portion 12 is provided with the sides 21 and 22 whichconverge toward the lower face 23 of the depending portion 12. A wedgeshaped slot 24 is provided in the lower end of the depending portion 12and a wedge 25 is normally driven into the slot 24 to hold the bent andlower end of the spring 18 in position.

The slot 24 is constructed with the curved walls 26 as best shown inFigures 1 and 2 of the drawing. The wedge 25 is formed with the curvedinner edges 27 so as to fit in the curved slot 24. In the event that thespring 18 should be broken the spring could be removed from its positionin the slot 24, where it is held by the wedge 25, by striking againstthe wedge 25 with a suitable tool, the end of which may be placed in theindent 28, and the wedge 25 forced against the curved wall 26 and out ofthe slot 24, thus releasing the end of the spring 18 from within theslot and from the depending portion 12. A new spring 18 may thereupon beplaced in position in the slot 24 by having its lower end inserted inthe slot and the wedge 25 returned into position in the wedge shapedslot 24, securing the end of the spring 18 in place.

The spring 18 is preferably bent to the shape best shown in Figure 3having its principal portion lying substantially parallel with theconverging side 22 ot the .depending portion 12, and having its outerend terminating in the roll 29, which assists in preventing the springfrom being caught in clothing or injuring the user.

It will also be understood that the spring 18 may be made of fiat leafspring material, of any desired length, width or thickness, to hold thenail, brad or screw in the groove 13, and against the hammer head insuch a way that the nail, brad, or screw, may be initially placed in theposition in which it is to be ultimately driven.

As shown the nail is in direct alignment with the upper wall 15 of thegroove 13 and the lower line 30 of the rounded striking head .31 of thehammer. The nail may then be inserted in the place it is .to beultimately driven, the nail being first driven by means of the strikingportion 19, having the auxiliary striking face 20. There- 'upon thehammer may be drawn away from the nail, the nail being released from theaction of the spring 18, and from the groove 13. The head of the nailwill pass from the aperture 14, and the nail may then be driven to itsultimate position by striking it with the hammer head or striking face32.

It will thus be seen that two striking faces are employed in driving thenail into position, the first being the auxiliary stri ng face 20, whichhas the serrations or milling, when the nail is first placed inposition, and the second being the striking face 32, when the nail isdriven into its ultimate position after being released from the actionof the spring 18, and from the groove 13.

the modified form of hammer illustrated in Figures 5, 6 and '7, theconstruction and mode of operation identical with the hammer and theholding means illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, except for theaddition of the metallic shield or protector 33. The shield 33 ispreierably made of a relatively thick piece of metal, wide enough toextend beyond the spring 18 on both sides thereof as shown at 34 and 35in Figure 5. The shield or protector 33 is also provided with theupwardly extending portion 36 which is narrower than the lower portionof the shield and which serves to shield and protect the upper portionof the spring 18. The upper portion 36 of the shield or protector isprovided with side extensions or flanges 37 and 38, as shown in Figure'7. These flanges 37 and 38 with the extension 36 provide a space orpocket within which the spring 18 may move when the sp ing is acted uponby the nail 17, when it is placed in position in the groove 13.

The shield or protector 33 may be secured in place on the dependingportion 12 by means of spot welding as shown at 39 and 40 in Figure 5.It will be noted that the shield or protector '33 is also provided withthe opening 41 which extends through the shield or protector '33 topermit the insertion of the spring 18. It will be seen that the spring18 may be readily inserted in the slot 24 and the opening 41.

It will be apparent that the shield or protector 38 need not be put onevery hammer head employing the invention but being a separate unit maybe spot welded upon the depending portion 12 as may be desired:

Having thus described the invention what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. In a hammer the combination of a hammer head and 3. depending nailsupporting member integral therewith, said nail supporting membercomprising a spring one end of which is secured in a slot in thedepending portion, a right angled groove extending longitudinally in theside of said depending portion and in alignment with the lower edge ofthe hammer head said groove being constructed to hold the nail firmly inposition against a side wall of the depending portion and the lower faceof the hammer head with the aid of said spring, said groove terminatingin an enlarged metal surrounded aperture adapted to receive any sizednail head, one wall of said aperture constituting the striking face ofsaid depending portion.

2. in a hammer the combination of a hammer head and a depending nailsupporting member integral therewith, said nail supporting membercomprising a spring one end or" which is secured in the dependingportion, a two-walled groove extending longitudinally in the side ofsaid depending portion and in alignment with the lower edge of thehammer said groove being constructed to hold the nail firmly in positionagainst a side wall of the depending portion and the lower face of thehammer head with the aid of said spring, said groove terminating in anenlarged metal surrounded aperture adapted to receive any sized nailhead, one wall of said aperture constituting the striking face of saiddepending portion, said depending portion being provided with a slot,and a wedge, said wedge being adapted to releasably hold one end of saidspring in said slot.

3. In a hammer the combination of a hammer head and a depending nailsupporting member integral therewith, said nail supporting membercomprising a spring, one end of which is secured in the dependingportion, a groove extending longitudinally of said depending portion andin alignment with the lower edge of the hammer head, said grooveterminating in an enlarged aperture adapted to receive any sized nailhead, one wall of said aperture constituting the striking face of saiddepending portion, said depending portion being provided with a slot, awedge adapted to hold one end of said spring in said slot, the innerwall of said slot and the wedge being curved so that said wedge may bereadily removed from said slot.

4. In a hammer the combination of a hammer head, a dependent nailholding portion integral with said head, said depending portion beingprovided with a nail holding spring, said spring being entirelyprotected by a shield attached to said depending portion, and saiddepending portion also being provided with an aperture adapted toreceive various sizes of nail heads, said aperture terminating at theportion of said depending nail holder element which constitutes anauxiliary striker for the nail, said spring shield or protector beingspot welded to said depending portion and having an opening extendingtherethrough for the reception of said spring and to allow movement ofsaid spring therein and also having an extension of lesser dimension,said extension having side flanges to form a space within which saidspring may move.

RICHARD B. GEVERT.

